MOSCOT is a New York City institution renowned worldwide for its iconic eyewear – The MOSCOT Originals, MOSCOT Spirit, and MOSCOT Sun Collections. MOSCOT infuses its unmistakably refined, downtown aesthetic with nearly 100 years of eyewear expertise and unparalleled craftsmanship to create its timeless eyewear. While now recognized as a global fashion brand beloved by fans worldwide, MOSCOT remains, at heart, a neighborhood optical shop.

The MOSCOT optical roots were first planted in America by Great Grandfather and family patriarch, Hyman Moscot, who arrived from Eastern Europe via Ellis Island in 1899. Hyman began selling ready-made eyeglasses from a pushcart on Orchard Street on Manhattan’s famed Lower East Side, and the rest, as they say, is history!

In 1925, Hyman’s son, Sol, joined the family business and at the tender age of only 15, he helped take over the reigns of the family’s first retail shop, MOSCOT’s, at 94 Rivington Street. By 1936, MOSCOT was settled at 118 Orchard Street, on the corner of Delancey Street, which would be its home for the next eight decades.

In 1951, Sol’s son, Joel, began presiding over the “House of MOSCOT.” Charming, dedicated, and devoted to his customers, Joel quickly made his mark – overseeing the shop and conveying the family’s values to his sons, who would soon become the fourth generation of Moscots to take the helm.

In 1986, Joel’s son, Dr. Harvey Moscot, entered the family business, and in 1992, Joel’s youngest son, Kenny Moscot, eagerly entered the business as well.

Shortly thereafter, the family opened its second shop at 69 West 14th Street, on the corner of Sixth Avenue in downtown Manhattan, which now hails as the company’s flagship location.

In 2012, MOSCOT opened its Court Street Shop in the landmark neighborhood of Cobble hill in Brooklyn, New York - bringing the family story full circle as the third generation Moscots were born and raised just down the way.

In March 2013, Harvey’s son, Zack Moscot, a formally trained industrial designer, came on board, making him the fifth generation Moscot to join the family business.

In July 2013, after 77 years, the MOSCOT Orchard Street Shop “crossed Delancey Street,” from 118 Orchard to 108 Orchard when its iconic building was sold – an extraordinarily propitious outcome for an institution determined to keep a foothold in its beloved Lower East Side for the next generation of MOSCOT.